Ancient History
by chipmouskin
Summary: Aerith is trying to learn how to live after the death of Zack Fair, and in the process, learns some things about herself - things that could change the very nature of her life.
1. Moving On

**Chapter 1: Moving On**

**Note: This is the sequel to Memories and Second Chances, based mostly from Aerith's POV. I would highly recommend reading this AFTER Memories and Second Chances to avoid confusion. Enjoy.**

–

Midgar was very different from the mess it had been five months earlier. After the Shinra building had been burned to the ground (thought only a select few knew how it had really happened), the hold Shinra had over Midgar destabilized, and the citizens had rallied together, determined to take the control back – and they did. Or at least, they were well on their way. Most of the upper plates had been removed, torn down, and the sunlight was finally able to reach the slums. The slums had actually begun to grow life again, and the efforts to clean up had come along splendidly. The reign of terror was fading away, and people were moving on with their lives.

Aerith Gainsborough was trying to move on, too. Five months ago, she hadn't felt like her life was starting over – she'd felt like it was ending, when Zack Fair, the love of her life, had died saving her and the Planet. She was surviving, though, somehow. Some days, she barely felt like getting up, but she always willed herself to, to go visit the flowers and tend to them – and visit Zack's grave, which sat in the very place where her beloved flowers grew.

Since he had been buried there, the flowers seemed, to her, to be more vibrant and beautiful than ever. A new type of flower had even started blooming, the exact shade of Zack's eyes. Aerith didn't know if they were growing because they now had more sunlight and water, or if it was the influence of Zack, somehow, but she liked to believe they were proof that he still lived around her, even though she couldn't see him or touch him anymore.

They were her favorite flowers, even though they made her sad.

The first few weeks after his death, she had hardly eaten anything, except under Cloud and Tifa's insistence, both of whom seem determined to take care of her. She appreciated it, even though she could barely swallow her food most of the time. As the months began to pass, she got better at getting up, showering, dressing – she still wore dresses, and she tried to wear pink whenever she could, because Zack had always loved it, and she still had the bloodstained dress from the day he died, hiding in the back of her closet, because she couldn't seem to throw it out – eating; pretending that things were normal, even when she knew they weren't. Outsiders thought she was perfectly fine, but Cloud and Tifa both knew she was still hurting inside.

To keep herself occupied, Aerith took on the job as a healer – she had an affinity for it, and it made her feel better, to help people (she never thought about how she'd been unable to heal Cissnei, or Zack) and see them walk away with smiles. She supposed it was her connection to the Planet that enabled her to cast healing spells without the aid of materia.

Cloud and Tifa had made the old bar, 7th Heaven, their home, and had eventually renovated and built on to accommodate for Aerith, too. She had decided that she was too old to keep living with her mother, and so she stayed with them, using what money she made from healing and selling her flowers (she never used the wagon Zack had built her – she used a basket instead) to help pay for expenses.

Aerith soon fell into a pattern, an easy rhythm that kept her too preoccupied to think. On the weekdays, she would be open for business, spending the morning and afternoon healing. People with minor injuries came in, or mothers who had sick children; but sometimes, people who had worked for Shinra, who had been burned in the fire while they were in the building, came in as well, for weekly sessions with Aerith. She could alleviate their pain, and found through weekly visits, she could get the skin to regrow. She didn't pick or choose who she healed – she helped everyone. I was something she thought Zack would do.

After 2 o'clock, she would close down and walk dutifully to the church, where she tended lovingly to her flowers, digging her fingers into the dirt, letting the smell of earth permeate her nose. She would carefully pick the best flowers to sell, gathering them in her basket, then heading back out onto the streets, selling them for a gil a piece. Once they were gone, she would go back to the church and sit for an hour, watching the blue flowers sprout above the spot where Zack had been buried. She never said anything, just watched, and let herself connect with the Planet – she let it soothe her aches and pains, though it was temporary. She still felt like part of her was missing. Then, she would go home.

On the weekends, she took a break from healing and selling flowers. She would visit her mother, who was ask her how she was and insist on cooking for her, every Saturday. On Sunday's, she stayed at home with Cloud and Tifa. Cloud ran a delivery service, and Tifa had gone back to running the bar. Sometimes Barret came to visit with Marlene. Aerith liked Marlene, who always managed to brighten her day, and made her forget about her worries for a while.

There were always men in the bar who tried to flirt with her – perhaps in another life, she would have been flattered. But she couldn't help but compare them to Zack. She had politely turned all of them down, and often times, Cloud's glare and scowl were enough to send several scurrying away. Cloud had taken Zack's words to heart, and he was always looking out for her. He'd even beaten up one persistent man, one time, when he thought Aerith wasn't watching.

She did this routine, the same every day, every week, every month. Except for when it rained.

When it rained, Aerith would stop whatever she was doing, and she would stand outside, letting it soak her. When it rained, she let her guard down, and sometimes she cried, and other times she would laugh softly, remembering how alive Zack had been. Remembering how he had been her sky, and how the sky would cry for the earth because of their mutual longing for one another. When it rained, Aerith let herself long for Zack, so much that it would ache deep inside her ribs, but she also felt alive, not like she was pretending to be happy, fighting to get by. The rain let Aerith live.

Today was one of those days.

It was a Thursday, 1:55, and she was beginning to close up shop for the day, ready to go down to the church. She stopped when she heard the pitter patter of rain against the roof top. She stared at the window for a long moment, and then slipped out the door, walking out into the middle of the street. Aerith raised her head skyward, closing her eyes, enjoying the feeling of the cool rain rolling down her skin.

_Zack, _she sighed to herself, breathing in deeply. She could hear people around her hurrying to get inside, and children laughing as they jumped into the forming puddles. She stood still though, letting her imagination take her back. The rain was Zack, and he was lightly caressing her arm...he kissed the top of her head, then her nose, and lightly on the mouth. He was holding her hand. Aerith shivered.

"You're going to catch a cold," Cloud's voice came from behind her, quietly. She opened her eyes, and the illusion was shattered. Zack wasn't there, it was only rain. She bit back the tears that had unwillingly arisen in her eyes.

"I'll be okay," Aerith said softly, unable to turn around and face Cloud.

"I brought your jacket," he said. Aerith smiled lightly. Every time Aerith came out into the rain, Cloud would eventually follow with her jacket. He never made her come inside, and he never asked what she was doing, even though she could see the questioning look in his eyes. She thought he may have understood what she was doing, though, and she appreciated that.

"Thank you," she said, finally turning to meet his gaze, reaching out for her jacket. She took it from his limp grasp, then pulled it onto her wet arms. The jacket would soon be soaked, too, and when it would be too heavy for her to wear comfortably anymore, that's when she would go inside and dry off. Normally, Cloud would leave after he'd given her the jacket, but today, he didn't leave right away.

She watched him, looking at her with sad eyes, and she knew that he too was still trying to cope with his best friend's death. Some days, Cloud was even surlier than her. But then, he always had Tifa to cheer him up again. Tifa was good for him.

"I still miss him, too," Cloud said softly, and Aerith stiffened. They never talked about Zack. It had become an unspoken rule between them. It still felt too painful for her, and her throat always got stuck. "Tifa and I are worried about you," Cloud continued. "You aren't happy."

Aerith just shook her head. What else could she say?

"Zack wouldn't want you to live like this – pretending...staying so busy that you go to bed exhausted...standing out in the freezing rain."

"I -" Aerith swallowed heavily. She felt guilty, making Cloud and Tifa worry...but what did they want her to do?

"Maybe we should all take a vacation," Cloud suggested. "Get away from this place."

"I -" Aerith stopped again. Her throat was stuck.

"That way you can clear your head...start to move on..."

"I can't forget him," she whispered, relieved her throat was finally working again, her heart thudding in her chest.

"...yeah...I figured," Cloud shrugged, running his fingers through his soaking hair. "We just...don't want to see you so sad anymore, Aerith."

"I'm sorry...I feel like I can't...I don't – It's like I can't remember how to feel...happy anymore. I try...but -"

"It's okay...I'm sorry I brought it up," Cloud said quickly. "We're just worried."

"All I can think about is how unfair it all is," she breathed.

"Yeah. You would have thought...I thought he would finally get a break, you know?" Cloud muttered, staring at the mud.

"I wish I could bring him back."

Cloud smiled sadly. "I wish that, too, Aerith. It would be...really nice." With that, Cloud turned around and headed inside, his boots sucking noisily at the mud beneath him.

Aerith looked back up at the sky, squinting through the rain.

"What do I do, Zack? How do I do this every day? It hurts..."

_I'm the last Ancient left. I can heal people without materia, I can communicate with the Planet, but I couldn't save him._ The thought rose up in her brain, not for the first time. _I'm the last of my kind...my race will die with me._ _Why couldn't I save him? Why didn't I try?_

The rain was slowing, but Aerith didn't want to go back inside. She pushed back her wet bangs, plastered on her forehead, and took a deep, shaky breath. She felt on edge since Cloud had brought Zack up. She started to walk, anything to get away from where she was. Her feet led her automatically toward the church, one of the only places she found comfort anymore. She trudged through the mud until she found herself on the front steps of the church, and she pushed open the door easily, her footsteps knocking on the wooden floor. She slid her boots off so she wouldn't track mud through the church – she wasn't sure why it mattered, but it just did, to her at least.

Setting her boots next to a pew, she strode purposefully to the patch of blue flowers in the midst of all her yellow ones, walking lightly between the flowers, their velvety petals brushing against her ankles and calves, the soil damp between her toes. When she reached the middle, she knelt down, brushing her fingertips against the vivid blue, and smiled to herself, remembering how so long ago she'd told Zack how beautiful his eyes were...how they were like the sky, and how they weren't scary at all.

"Hello, Zack," she whispered to the flowers. "I've been...less than okay," she admitted to them. "I try every day...but when it rains, I can't help but think of you. I miss you, so much..."

Zack didn't answer her, of course, but the Planet sent waves of comfort her way.

"I know you want me to be happy...I know I should be strong, for you. But you left a hole in me. I don't know how to fill it. I can heal everyone's cuts and bruises, but not my own. I couldn't heal yours. Some days it feels like...like I'm dying without you. Other days I wonder if I'm just being silly."

She sighed, curling her fingers around one of the flowers, but without any intention of pulling it out.

"And I want to be able to do...something. Anything. What good is it being the last Ancient if I couldn't keep you from becoming part of the Lifestream?"

She waited for a long time, hoping some answer would come to her – but everything was quiet. There were no answers.

"I should go now, Zack," she finally said. "Cloud worries – you'd be very proud of him. He takes care of everyone, just like you asked." With one last lingering touch against the blue flowers, Aerith rose from her spot, brushed the dirt off her knees and feet, tied her boots back on, and walked home.

–

"You're back early," Tifa commented as Aerith closed the door behind her. Aerith shrugged, smiling lightly. It was time to pretend everything was okay again.

"I know...I guess I'm just a little more tired today."

"You're not sick, are you?" Tifa asked. "I wouldn't be surprised, the amount of time you spend standing out in the rain all the time..." Tifa gave her a sympathetic look.

"No, I'm okay," Aerith promised. "It has been a long day, that's all. I'm going to go rest for a little while. Wake me when you're going to make dinner. I'll help."

"Alright," Tifa agreed, turning to help a customer at the bar.

Aerith took the steps one at a time, feeling very heavy. She was grateful she didn't pass Cloud on the way, who would pester her about getting dry, and taking a hot bath – he'd probably try and force soup down her throat to make sure she didn't catch a cold. Today, she just wanted to be alone.

She changed into some dry, comfortable clothes in her room, throwing her wet things into the hamper – she'd wash them later. Then, she removed her pink bow with well practiced fingers, placing it on her bedside table so she could begin brushing her hair, with long, methodical strokes. When she was done, she curled under the covers, the feeling of irrepressible loneliness crawling up into her chest, making her heart labor for it's own beat. Whenever she would lie in bed, she would remember how Zack had felt curled up next to her, his arm slung over her waist, his breath in her ear...

It made sleeping difficult at times, the memories that haunted her. Usually, she only fell asleep when her brain finally shut down, too exhausted to think anymore.

_Today was another bad day._

But she couldn't remember the last time she'd had a good day.

–

**A/N: I'm a liar. I'm not going to wait to post this, because I need to get this out of me or it'll drive me crazy. Also, I want feedback! This is chapter numero uno. Not too long, but just a taste to get you all ready. I don't know when I'll be updating Mercenaries. I just can't focus on writing anything else until I get some of this story out of the way. That's just how I work I suppose.**

**Welcome to the sequel, everyone. Please review! **


	2. Guidance

**Chapter 2: Guidance**

–

_Aerith laughed as Zack kissed her stomach, right above her belly button._

_ "What are you doing?" she wondered aloud, and he grinned boyishly._

_ "You just have a cute belly button."_

_ "You're being silly," she said, smiling broadly at him._

_ "It's true!" he protested jovially. "The cutest I've ever seen."_

_ "How many have you seen?" she asked._

_ "Oh, hundreds," he said, his lips twitching. "Then again...they belonged to guys in the locker room – I wasn't really looking all that closely."_

_ Aerith couldn't help it as a belly laugh erupted out of her mouth. "Oh, Zack," she sighed as her laughing subsided. _

_ "It's lonely without you," Zack sighed sadly, lying next to her on the bed. "Why didn't you try and save me?"_

_ "I-" Aerith faltered, her good mood slipping away alarmingly fast. "I'm sorry..."_

_ "Being sorry won't bring me back to life, you know," Zack pointed out to her._

_ "I know...I don't know..." Aerith trailed off, biting her lip as tears filled her eyes._

_ "You shouldn't stand out in the rain, you'll catch a cold."_

_ "You sound like Cloud," she protested, frowning._

_ "Well, he's right." _

_ "I miss you."_

_ "Do something about it," Zack offered, grinning at her. _

–

Aerith jolted from her sleep, disoriented. "Zack," she murmured, then sighed as she realized it was another dream. They came regularly, haunting her nights and early mornings, and leaving her heart aching when she awoke. This dream was similar to the one she'd had two months ago in February, on her birthday. That day had been particularly lonely for her. Lately, her dreams would start out normal, only to leave her feeling hurt and confused in the end – Zack had started telling her to _do something about it_, whatever that meant.

With a groan, she slid her legs out from under the warm covers, unwilling, but knowing she had to start another day.

–

It was Saturday, which meant that Aerith went to her mother's house for lunch. She was sitting at the small wooden table in the kitchen, eyes unfocused as she pondered over her dream.

"Aerith, dear, you've barely touched your food," her mother scolded, jerking Aerith from her daze.

"Oh, sorry," she mumbled, picking at her food with her fork to appease her mother. She could feel her mother's sad eyes on her, but Aerith refused to meet them. For a fleeting moment, she wished Elmyra wasn't there, that her real mother were around instead – she would know what to do – but the feeling left, and Aerith felt a small bit of guilt rise up in her. She loved her adopted mother very much – it was unfair to wish that her biological mother were around instead – there was no changing the past.

"...his poor parents," she heard her mother ramble softly. "I wonder if they even know..."

"What?" Aerith asked in an attempt to figure out what she was talking about.

"Zack's parents," she replied, and momentarily, Aerith felt cold air fill her lungs at the sound of his name. Everyone was mentioning him, lately, it seemed. "I said, I wondered if they knew what happened to him – I don't imagine he had time to stay in contact with them, what with running around, chasing after people."

"Oh...no, I don't think he did. I don't know if they know..."

"Well, finish your lunch, dear," Elmyra said, smoothing back Aerith's hair lovingly.

Aerith ate automatically, even though she could barely taste the food.

–

"Cloud?" Aerith asked timidly, watching as he fiddled with his motorcycle. He used it for deliveries, mostly, but sometimes he gave the younger children rides on it, and more often than not, he and Tifa would disappear on it for a while.

"What is it?" Cloud asked, not unkindly.

"You know how you said we should go on vacation...?" Cloud nodded in affirmation. "I was thinking...maybe we should go see Zack's parents. What if they don't even know what happened to him?"

"You think that would be a good vacation?" Cloud asked, and she could hear a bit of incredulity in his voice. She understood – he'd planned a vacation that would help her get away from Zack, and here she was, asking to go somewhere where she wouldn't be able to forget him.

"I was hoping I'd be able to get some closure," Aerith whispered. "Besides...don't you think they deserve to know? He was their son, after all."

"Of course they should know," Cloud defended himself. "I didn't expect you'd want to go there, that's all."

"I think I need to," she confessed.

"Okay," Cloud agreed softly. "We'll go."

–

Aerith didn't like riding in the helicopter, but she knew that it was the fastest way to Gongaga. Being inside reminded her of Zack, and his last hours – how they were spent on the very helicopter she was sitting in. It made her insides squirm.

Cloud had called in a favor to Tseng, though, who, with the other Turks, had become a sort of protectors of the people, to many people's amazement. In the destruction of Shinra, much of SOLDIER had destabilized, and so the Turks, however shady they may have been previously, took on the duty, along with several Ex-SOLDIERS to protect the perimeter of Midgar from monsters. Aerith had spent quite a bit of her time tending to the minor wounds some of them acquired. If she didn't know better, she'd think some of them got hurt on purpose just to come see her.

"Okay, Aerith?" Tseng asked her over the speaker, and she nodded quickly. She wasn't okay, not really, but there was no need to worry him. Cloud sat in the co-pilot's seat up front, and Tifa sat next to her in the back. They had closed up the bar and the delivery service so they could all go on the trip with her. She knew they wanted to make sure she was okay, even though they insisted that they needed a vacation, and that it would be nice to get out.

"Do you know what they're like?" Tifa interrupted her thoughts, and Aerith blinked blankly at her, disoriented.

"Who?"

"Zack's parents," she said, and Aerith flinched internally at the mention of Zack. She scolded herself. How was she supposed to visit his parents if she could barely stand it if someone said his name?

"I – I don't know. He didn't talk about them much."

Tifa reached over and took her hand, a sad smile on her face. "It's good that you want to tell them. They should know about their son."

Aerith was nervous, so she kept her mouth shut, opting to nod instead. What would she say to them?

"Sorry, your son died fighting to protect me. He lived a good life, though."

But he had barely lived. He hadn't even reached middle age. His life had been short, and his parents had lived longer than him. How could she tell them that? She clasped her hands together in her lap to keep them from shaking. She was beginning to regret her decision to go see them.

"We're nearly there," Cloud said, looking back at her from the front seat. "We're descending now."

A thrill of panic shot through Aerith's chest, and she brought her clenched hands up to her heart, finding it hard to breathe.

"Don't worry," Tifa said next to her, gripping her shoulder firmly. "We'll all be there to help you. You don't have to do this alone."

Aerith nodded wordlessly, mouth clamped shut. She forced her gaze out the window, peering down for the first time at Gongaga, Zack's hometown. It could hardly be called a town, though, small as it was. It was much greener than anything she was used to in Midgar, and it made her smile, knowing Zack had grown up in such a beautiful place. The only ugly part was an abandoned mako reactor, a haunting reminder of Shinra.

"We'll have to land on the outskirts," Tseng said. "No room in the village." He maneuvered the helicopter down, and Aerith watched as the grass below them rippled fiercely in the wind created by the helicopter blades. They finally came to a light stop, the blades still spinning, but their _thrum thrum thrum _slowing as they sat.

"Welcome to Gongaga," Tseng said, and Cloud unbuckled and hurried out, looking a bit green.

"Flying still gets to him?" Aerith asked Tifa, who nodded, hiding her smile.

"Poor Cloud," she said, following him out of the copter. Aerith remained where she sat, watching Tifa rub Cloud's back comfortingly, and realizing she was paralyzed with fear. What if Zack's parents hated her?

"Aerith?" Tseng asked in his deep, calm voice, shaking her from her thoughts. "Coming?"

She nodded stiffly, her fingers fumbling with the buckle on her seat until it clicked and released her from the seat. She took a few shaky steps and stumbled out of the helicopter, taking a deep breath of the humid air. It was warm in Gongaga, almost tropical. She remembered a few times when Zack had complained that Midgar was cold, and she realized why – he'd grown up in such a warm place.

"Ready?" Tifa asked, appearing next to her, with a pale, but no longer green Cloud. Aerith opened her mouth to speak, but then thought better of it and shut it tightly, nodding again. Her eyes focused on the path below her, almost overgrown with grass, and wondered how many times Zack had walked on the same path as a child, carefree and happy. Cloud had taken a hold of her elbow, gently leading her while she stared determinedly at the ground, until they all stopped, and Aerith knew she was in front of Zack's childhood home.

She lifted her head and gazed at the simple house. It didn't look any different than the other few houses in the village, but her heart quickened all the same, knowing Zack's parents were inside. She couldn't move, and she was grateful that Cloud stepped forward and knocked on the front door. To Aerith, the sound of his knocking seemed deafening. A long moment passed, and then the door cracked open, and a woman with Zack's dark hair answered the door.

"Yes? What can I help you with?"

"Who is it, hun?" a man's voice called from inside the house, and then another body joined the woman at the door. He had Zack's height and the same facial features, though his hair was grayed and his eyes a dimmer blue than Zack's had been. These were definitely his parents.

"I'm sorry to bother you both," Cloud began, but Zack's father interrupted.

"Hey wait a second – your eyes...are you in SOLDIER?"

"Er," Cloud mumbled, scratching the back of his head.

"You have the look of it," he continued. "Do you happen to know anybody in SOLDIER named Zack?"

Aerith's heart stopped. They really didn't know. How could they not know? Shinra had never told them?

"SOLDIER doesn't really exist anymore," Cloud said, evading the question.

"Oh really?" Zack's father asked, his eyebrows shooting up. "Maybe you ought to come inside and tell your story, son."

Cloud glanced back at Tifa and Aerith. Aerith nodded again. That seemed to be the only thing she could do now that she was in Gongaga.

"Thanks," Cloud said, and this time Tifa gently led Aerith inside. Tseng stayed outside, eyes out on the horizon.

"Have a seat," Zack's father said, and they all sat around the small, well worn table. Aerith gazed at the leg of the table and saw something rough had been carved there. Upon closer inspection, she saw it said 'Zack', in a large, exaggerated manner. She almost smiled, imagining a small Zack carving his name into the table.

"My son did that," his mom said, catching Aerith's gaze. "He had just learned how to write. He wrote his name all over the place."

"So, who are you people exactly?" his father asked.

"We're from Midgar," Cloud said slowly. Aerith could tell this was hard for him, too. "We...I'm Cloud Strife. I worked with Zack. Your son," he added unnecessarily.

"Oh my," Zack's mother said, her brows drawing together. Aerith noticed she had worry lines – it must have been hard, not hearing from her son. "How is Zack?"

Cloud opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

"He's dead."

Aerith clapped her hand over her mouth, a sharp pain of agony shooting through her heart. Saying it out loud hurt. But she had just blurted it out, unable to stop herself. The table was quiet.

"And who are you?" Zack's mother asked softly.

"Aerith," she whispered. "Aerith Gainsborough. I -" she stopped, unable to keep talking. How they must hate her for giving them the bad news. The news that their only son was dead.

"So you're the Aerith my son wrote home about. I can see why he liked you."

"What?" she spluttered. "He wrote about me?"

"Of course. He wrote all the time about his girlfriend," Zack's father said, a sad smile on his face. "He wrote about you too, Cloud. It sounds like you two were good friends. He used to write to us all the time...when he stopped...well, we feared the worst."

"I'm sorry," Aerith choked out.

"I'm sorry, too," his father continued. "From his letters, it sounds like he really cared about you, Aerith, Cloud, and er- sorry, miss, I didn't catch your name."

"Tifa Lockheart," Tifa replied. "I met Zack up in Nibelheim, my hometown."

"We stopped getting letters from him after he went to that town," Zack's mother said. "What happened up there?"

So Cloud, sighing heavily, sat stiffly in the wooden chair and told them the whole long story. Aerith found it hard to concentrate. She'd heard the story before, and she didn't want to hear it again.

"He came back to life?" Zack's mother interrupted sharply and jerked Aerith back into reality. She hadn't realized Cloud had gotten so far into the story.

"Yes," Aerith answered quietly. "He had a...destiny to fulfill."

"I'm guessing that he died fulfilling this destiny of his?" his father asked, sounding much older and more tired than when he had first met them at the door.

Cloud picked up the story again, his voice beginning to go hoarse from talking for so long – Zack's mother got him a glass of water, which Cloud accepted gratefully – until he got to the part of Zack's death – his second death.

"...he made it back to see Aerith, but he was fading fast. I thought...I hoped Aerith could heal him. Could save him..." there was no accusation in his voice, but Aerith felt the sting of guilt anyway.

"I'm so sorry," she said again, tears forming in her eyes. "I should have tried to save him. But I didn't. I'm...I'm a horrible person."

"Nonsense," his father said sharply, rapping the table. "Now chin up, there. I know my boy, and he wouldn't want you to be sad. He sacrificed himself for the world – for you. He died a hero, just like he always wanted to be, for as long as I can remember. Wouldn't you say he died a hero?"

"Of course," Aerith said quickly, shakily. "He was always...always a hero. Always my hero."

"You're far from a horrible person," Zack's mother picked up where his father had left off. "You made our son very happy, from what we could tell. Its safe to say he loved you – and I'm sure you loved him, didn't you?"

Aerith nodded, clasping her hands together. "Yes. Very much."

"Then don't feel guilty. It's okay to feel sad for a while, but eventually we all must move on from grieving..."

"I -" Aerith began, but faltered to a stop again.

"You're afraid you're going to forget him?" she asked kindly, and Aerith nodded, her lip trembling.

"You won't. And you may wonder how I can say this so calmly – don't mistake me, I feel grief for my son's loss, and I miss him more than you could know – but for a long time, I think we've known our son was gone. I've had my own time to grieve, and you'll see that one day you'll start to feel better, too. But you won't forget him."

Tears spilled down her cheeks and she swallowed hard. "How? How do you make it past all the pain?"

"You don't. Not really. You just need...time."

Aerith nodded jerkily, wiping hastily at her face. "I'm sorry. Again. We just came to...to tell you what happened. I'm sure he would have wanted you to know, a-and, not worry."

"Thank you for coming all this way," his mother said, and then she wrapped her arms around Aerith. Aerith felt her resolve to stop her tears dissolve and she broke down again. How would it have been if Zack had introduced her to his parents himself? Would they have sat around the table and joked and smiled and had dinner?

"I wish he was here," she spluttered, sniffing.

"We all do," his mother said, and rubbed Aerith's back. "Now, now..."

Aerith had come to Gongaga hoping to find closure, to help comfort Zack's parents at the news of his loss, but here his mother was, comforting her. She had come here to be strong, but she felt weaker than ever.

"You look like you could use some rest," his mother said. "Why don't you come upstairs?"

Aerith let Zack's mother lead her up the stairs – it wasn't very big, even smaller than her own house back in Midgar, but there was still enough space for two small rooms. Aerith stopped in the doorway of one, with a single bed made neatly. It was obvious no one had slept in it for a long time.

"Is this his room?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes. The sheets are clean though – I never let the dust build up...just in case he came home one day." Aerith turned to the older woman, smiling sadly.

"He was always out saving the world."

"That he was..."

"I wish I could have saved him."

"He cheated death twice by the sound of it – I...it must have been his time." Aerith didn't say any more, though, because his mother looked strained, and so Aerith let her walk back down the stairs. When she disappeared from sight, Aerith walked hesitantly into the bedroom and sat on the bed.

A rush of warmth flooded through her. She frowned, trying to pinpoint the feeling. Something about it reminded her of Zack. Or maybe she was just imagining things, sitting in his old room on his bed. Maybe she just _wanted _to feel something. She laid down, staring up at the ceiling, letting the feeling wash over her. It was strange – she had been apprehensive about being in his room, but now that she was in his bed, she felt relief. Comfort, even. Perhaps it was the Planet soothing her – or maybe, Zack was reaching out through the lifestream somehow, making her feel better. If so, she wondered why he couldn't do it all the time.

As her thoughts swirled in her head, the day caught up with her, and a wave of exhaustion hit her. Her eyes closed slowly, even as she fought off sleep.

_Maybe I'll just...rest my eyes..._

_"Sleeping in my bed, huh?" Zack asked her, standing over her with a grin on his face._

_ "Your bed's so comfy," she murmured, smiling up at him. _

_ "Not much room for two, though," he noted. "Budge up." _

_ She scooted closer to the wall and he laid down next to her, his side pressed up next to hers, one leg hanging off the bed._

_ "So, what do you think of my parents?" Zack asked, tilting his head to look at her, eyes bright in the semi-darkness._

_ "They're wonderful. Very nice. You look a lot like your dad."_

_ "I just hope I don't lose my hair," he joked._

_ "Your dad has all his hair. What are you on about?" she asked, laughing. He shrugged, still grinning. _

_ "I wish you had been here today," Aerith said, sighing and fiddling with the hem of her jacket. "I would have liked to meet your parents on a happier note."_

_ "I told you to do something about it," he said, shaking his head._

_ "What does that mean?" _

_ "If you miss me, you should do something about it."_

_ "Zack, you're being more cryptic than the Planet. What are you talking about?"_

_ "You'll figure it out," he promised. "But I can't tell you. It's up to you, you know? I can't help you this time."_

_ "Is this a dream? Or is this real?"_

_ "Both."_

_-_

"Aerith, wake up."

Aerith groaned, turning over in the bed. It was so comfortable. She didn't want to wake up.

"Aerith..."

"What Tifa?" she sighed, throwing her arm to the side.

"Do you want something to eat? Zack's mom made dinner..."

"I was asleep that long?" Aerith wondered, blinking blearily.

"Yeah, you needed it though. We didn't want to bother you. So, are you hungry?"

Aerith was about to say no – she wasn't hungry much these days – but stopped as her stomach grumbled. For once, she did have an appetite.

"I'll be down in a moment," Aerith said, sitting up slowly. The aroma of food was wafting up to the room, making her stomach growl more.

"See you down there," Tifa said, smiling widely. Aerith could tell Tifa was happy that she was getting her appetite back again.

"What a strange dream," Aerith murmured after Tifa exited the room, rubbing her eyes and combing her hair back with her fingers. She stood up with every intention to make the bed, but what she saw made her freeze.

In the sheets were the clear imprints of two bodies. Aerith leaned forward and touched the larger of the two – it was still warm, as though the person had only just gotten out of the bed. It was the side furthest away from the wall, the same spot Zack had lain down in her dream.

_Was it really more than a dream?_ She wondered, her heart quickening. Had Zack really visited her? What did he say? "_You'll figure it out."_ Aerith felt certain that Zack was trying to communicate with her from the Lifestream – and maybe, he wasn't as gone as she thought.

-

**A/N: Seems as good a place to stop as any. I apologize for the wait. Same story as usual – school, work, life. I recently injured my back so I've been doing a lot of lying around though. So, good for you, bad for me. But at least I got some writing done. (; Please, please review. They do keep me oh so motivated.**


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